During the 1940's and 1950's, Mt. Buffalo was the Cradle of organized skiing in Victoria with the declared objective of "learn to ski in a week". The Mount Buffalo Chalet (operated by the Victorian Railways and configured to hold about 180) had sufficient winter accommodation to introduce between 900 and 1,000 beginners each year to skiing. At that time the ski school was based at Dingo Dell, a sheltered slope that is flattish at top and bottom and extremely wide. On one side of the run was an endless-rope ski tow that did not require artificial grips, such as a "nut-cracker" and was so simple that it could be ridden by second-day skiers. Huts near the ski run served hot lunches daily and provided shelter should the weather deteriorate. Mount Buffalo's status as the prime Victorian ski school, slowly slipped away when ski schools were established at Buller, Hotham and Falls Creek by the 1960's.